The action is stiff a bit, probable because it is new. I was able to zero with 6 rds. At 100 yards the shot groups were ¾ inches or less. The stock look like is made of red or brown oak, it has a light brown color.

i have also noticed a "stiff" ejection. never had any real trouble other than some rounds (all factory) ejected easy and some were tough to work the action. figured this was the newness of the rifle. after reading this it sounds like i can do something to improve those tough ejections. the problem is, i have no gunsmithing skills. i feel comfortable removing the bolt/lever/etc for cleaning but am not sure what parts you guys are referring to for polishing? can someone provide pics or a layman's explanation?

It's a rough chamber. I had the same thing on my 338 MX. Chuck a cleaning rod in your drill, and put on a shotgun mop. Use some polishing compound and run it into the chamber. Polish it and keep checking. Although it wont's get rid of all the roughness, it will greatly inprove it to where it's not sticking. If you want, take it to a gunsmith, and have him do a complete chamber polishing.

didn't mean to imply that this wasn't a thorough explanation but didn't want to try this without more details... i'm picturing me jacking this up and then needing a real gunsmith!

First get a bore mop, these are mostly used for shotgun cleaning. I found one at Wally World in .410 gauge for $1.50.
Find a 3 piece cleaning rod that the bore mop will screw into. I have 3 or 4 of these from cleaning kits I've bought over the years. If you need to buy a new one, again Wally World for around $12.
You only need to use the last 3rd of the cleaning rod. One end chucked into a drill (variable speed is the best) and the other with the bore mop screwed in.
I used Butch's Bore Shine and if that's what you use you'll want to be in a ventilated area as it has a strong ammonia odor.
Remove the bolt (see Gunsmithing Section), soak the bore mop, then slide it into the chamber and start polishing.
I don't think you can ruin your rifle's chamber this way, however, if that concerns you go slow at first and check the chamber often for polishing marks.

thanks for the additional info. just one point of clarification... your original post says to polish the "chamber" using said technique and this response says to polish the "bore". i'm assuming you meant chamber (cause i don't see how polishing the bore would help improve ejecting spent cartridges) but you know what they say about assuming!

The action is stiff a bit, probable because it is new. I was able to zero with 6 rds. At 100 yards the shot groups were ¾ inches or less. The stock look like is made of red or brown oak, it has a light brown color.

Very new to the Marlin rifle

I'm very new to the Marlin rifle. Despite many negative reviews of the Marlin 308 MX, I decided to purchase this rifle. Got it last week (guys at gun store installed/bore sighted 1X4X32 scope ) and off I went to nearby shooting range. Rifle (Marlin 308 MX, serial number, MR 00XXXC, proof markings left site REP and the right site CG- I think it means April 2012) has one small imperfection (aesthetics that I will fix myself) where the stack meets the metal, otherwise it looks very good. With a few boxes of ammunition (Hornady LEVERevolution FTX 160 Grain), I started at the 50 yards target. The first 3 shots were somewhat below and to the left of the center. After a small adjustment the next 3 shots were almost in the center, let's say within 1 inch circle. I decided to move up to 100 yards. The first 3 shots were again tightly group and about 2 inches high. Again, a small adjustment and another 3 shots near the perfect center. After about 15 min. break I shot 3 more bullets and all 3 were about 5 inches high and 4, 5 and 7 inches to the right of the center. Not sure what to think about it , the temperature was 85°F, there was virtually no wind and I used the same box of ammunition. Shot another 3 bullets with the same results, high and to the right of the center. I checked the rifle and everything seems fine including the rifle scope. For more than 30 years I used only a bolt action rifle and don't recall anything remotely similar. I would appreciate your thoughts on this subject.